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SBD
Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 1022
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 Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 6:58 pm Post subject: President Bush spends the night aboard IWO JIMA |
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Got this email from a friend of mine at the GOP.
| Quote: | Hello All;
President Bush remained overnight aboard good ship IWO JIMA, the first time ever on a Navy ship according to the Secret Service folks. He electrified the crew by showing up on the mess decks early this morning for breakfast. IWO JIMA's mess decks normally hold about 100 seats. Within a few minutes, as word spread throughout the ship, the population of the mess decks swelled to three hundred to four hundred people. Hundreds stood in line to shake his hand. The President moved from table to table, greeting Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Soldiers, National Guardsmen, Coast Guardsmen, air crews, doctors, and civilians, shaking hands, taking a picture with them, and thanking them for their service. Would that his incredibly tight schedule permit him to do so, he would have spent all day on the mess decks greeting and thanking each and every service member. As he was departing the ship later this morning, I introduced him to IWO JIMA's veteran LDO Chief Engineer, Rick Shelar, dressed in coveralls, naturally. The President made a point of thanking him for the "hot water and cool air" - two commodities greatly appreciated by thousands of IWO JIMA guests this past week. We implemented a change in IWO JIMA's uniform policy on Sunday. Hence forth, all long sleeves shirts have to be rolled up, in the style of the Commander-in-Chief. Like the President, we are ready to get back to work.
The business of good ship IWO JIMA continued uninterrupted throughout the President's stay. Several medical evacuations (medevacs) took place; a number by air and the flight deck and a number brought by ambulance to the quarterdeck. Flight operations continued throughout the morning. Deck department continued their extensive preservation work of the ship's port side and the "golden" anchor on the port side was brightened with a fresh coat of gold paint. The steady stream of soldiers and guardsmen coming aboard for showers, meals, laundry, medical attention, and meetings continued unabated as well as the steady flow of Sailors going off the ship to support a number of relief projects. The trashed and gutted River Walk Terminal was completely clean out this morning by a large contingent of IWO JIMA Sailors. The Command Master Chief had to hold them off before they went so far as to start waxing the decks. The terminal building is slated to become the new FEMA offices for recovery efforts. Twenty volunteers returned to the Plaza to continue the feeding of the First Responders, cooking and barbequing several thousand meals a day for firemen and policemen from New Orleans and from around the country, including some 300 from New York City. Last Sunday, teams of volunteers - including a group of brothers from Alabama - set up the "soup kitchen" to ensure that the First Responders were supplied with good food as they worked to restore the city. A team of engineers conducted a site survey of Charity Hospital to drain the facility's huge basement of flood waters. Other teams surveyed jobs to build showers for the city workers at a local gym and rehab the Orleans Parish City Hall to get it up and running. Around the city there are growing signs of recovery. Some of the parishes are reported to be allowing some residents to return to their homes. The Army Corps of Engineers indicated that dewatering efforts were proceeding ahead of schedule with the water level dropping on the average of a foot and a half per day across the city. Louis Armstrong Airport is reported to be opening up soon. And as I looked across the night skyline this evening, I notice that the red "Sheraton" sign has been completely restored. There is still a gigantic amount of trash, debris, and garbage to be cleared out. But inch by inch, areas of the city are being cleaned and reclaimed.
As I went around the room this evening during our Department Head meeting, there was one worthy candidate for the amusing event of the day. With such a large population of civilians and personnel from other Services onboard, getting around the ship and comprehending Navy terminology can be challenging. One lost civilian asked a crewmember how she could get to the "Half deck" "Don't you mean Quarterdeck?" was the response. I suspect it is the "new" math.
Before the President left the mess decks this morning, he spoke briefly to the packed audience of hundreds of service men and women. He thanked the troops for what they had done in relieving the misery of the Gulf Coast and expressed his pride in their service, and he told them that by their actions and extraordinary efforts they were "uplifting humanity" and bringing hope to those without it.
Our sleeves are rolled up and we're ready to get back to work.
All the best,
RSC
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SBD |
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dusty
Admiral
Joined: 27 Aug 2004
Posts: 1264
Location: East Texas
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| Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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Cool. Good post SBD, thanks for passing it on.
Makes me wish I could have been on board. Do these guys like their CnC or what?
Dusty
_________________
Left and Wrong are the opposite of Right! |
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wwIIvetsdaughter
Captain
Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 513
Location: McAllen, Texas
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:48 am Post subject: |
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| SBD, is there somewhere where us civilians can keep up with the daily good works of our Military in NOLA, an official website or something? |
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SOLTC
Seaman Recruit
Joined: 30 Jul 2004
Posts: 25
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